baylisascariasis

Pronunciation: bā′lis-as′kă-ī′a-sis

Definition: The disease caused by nematode parasites of the genus Baylisascaris; migrating larvae of the raccoon parasite B. procyonis can cause a severe disease of the central nervous system in a variety of wild and domestic animal species and, rarely, in humans; human disease has been manifested as either a fatal eosinophilic meningoencephalitis or a diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis.